Navigating the cycles of addiction, incarceration, and trauma, Jelly Roll learned to rely on his Christian faith. The former rapper’s big break came in 2023 when his debut country album, Whitsitt Chapel, made him a household name. For the third straight year, Jelly (born Jason DeFord) has landed among the Grammy nominees. He scored a nod in the inaugural Best Contemporary Country Album with last year’s Beautifully Broken.
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He’s also up for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” his collaboration with Christian singer Brandon Lake. The two artists have performed the song together on several occasions, including at this year’s GMA Dove Awards in October. Despite his success in the contemporary Christian realm this year, Jelly Roll says he has no plans to fully cross over into the genre.
“I definitely live a little too secular to be releasing Christian music,” the “Need a Favor” crooner, 41, told the Associated Press this week.
However, Jelly Roll also doesn’t believe he needs to fully rebrand himself as a Christian artist in order to share his faith through music. “I think there really is a revival happening in America right now where people are being re-presented the gospel in a digestible way,” he said. “And it doesn’t seem as finger waggy and ‘You’re all going to hell,’ you know?”
Why Jelly Roll Cares About the Grammys
Some artists choose to downplay the Grammy Awards, even if they’re nominated. Jelly Roll is not one of them. “I don’t care what artists say, I don’t care what artists act like—I’m going to tell you the real truth,” he said in a social media video last month. “There’s not an artist in the world that didn’t grow up watching the Grammys as a kid, and walk in their bedrooms afterwards and rehearse their speech.”
Jelly repeated that sentiment in the AP interview, saying, “It’s definitely the greatest honor. Everybody wants to be nominated for a Grammy.”
And it’s perhaps even more special to see Beautifully Broken gaining recognition from the Recording Academy. “God wanted people to know you can still be beautiful and broken,” he said. “It’s truly my most meaningful album.”
Featured image by Carly Mackler/Getty Images
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